Everton manager Frank Lampard has urged all parties connected with the club to remain calm after another defeat further increased their relegation woes.
The Toffees entered Sunday’s home encounter with Wolves looking to end their run of three continuous top-flight losses. Unfortunately for them this was not to be as Conor Coady’s 49th-minute goal gifted all three points to the West Midlanders instead, meaning that the Merseysiders are out of the bottom three based on goal difference alone.
The club is now level on 22 points with Watford but have played three games fewer than the Hornets while Leeds United and Brentford, the two clubs directly above them, have also played three more games. Although a positive, the bare facts are that Everton have won just two league matches since late September, having lost 15 of 19 games since beating Norwich City on September 25.
However, despite another reverse and the red card issued to Jonjoe Kenny, the former Chelsea chief remained optimistic as he saw positives in his side’s display.
“I thought we were the better team in the first half. Wolves always give you a tight game. They don’t score much but they don’t concede much,” he told BBC Sport.
“We played well, not getting the goal and then their goal changes the game in a big sense because it brought out the nervousness in us.”
And the ex-England midfielder is insistent that panic does not set in at Goodison Park.
“We must keep our head up and the important thing now is to remain positive,” he added. “There is still a long way to go. We are understanding of that. It’s easy to react very quickly and strongly to the way we are at. There are a lot of games where we need to keep mental strength.”
Despite still having more than sufficient games to dig themselves out of the hole they had stumbled into, the club’s upcoming fixture list is one that is pretty unenviable, with the next one immediately up being the visiting. in-form Newcastle United. April after that sees trips to West Ham and Liverpool besides welcoming Manchester United and Chelsea at Goodison.
A tad tricky, no doubt, but the forward-looking Chelsea legend and ex-boss clung tenaciously to his mantra for survival.
“When you’re in the moment when things aren’t going for you, you have to keep working until things turn in your favour,” he told Sky Sports.
“We have belief here but at the moment it’s tough. It’s been a long time since the club has not been winning the games we want. We have to keep fighting and keep working, simple as that.
“The Premier League gives you tough games every game. We need to turn a corner somehow.
“It can only come through work and confidence. Everyone wants the same thing here. We want to stay in the Premier League but the first thing is to keep fighting for it.”